Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Meat Carcasses and Bovine Milk in Abattoirs and Dairy Farms of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abongile Pekana and Ezekiel Green
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Abongile Pekana: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
Ezekiel Green: Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Background : Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) occasionally threatens the life of the host as a persistent pathogen even though it is normal flora of humans and animals. We characterized drug resistance in S. aureus isolated from animal carcasses and milk samples from the abattoirs and dairy farms in the Eastern Cape Province. Methods : A total of 1000 meat swab samples and 200 raw milk samples were collected from selected abattoirs and dairy farms. S. aureus was isolated and positively identified using biochemical tests and confirmed by molecular methods. An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed on all isolates for 14 antibiotics and correspondent genes were detected. Results : Of the 1200 samples collected, 134 (11.2%) samples were positive for S. aureus . Resistance ranged from 71.6% for penicillin G to 39.2% for tetracycline. A resistance gene ( bla Z) was detected in 13 (14.9%), while msr A was found in 31 (52.5%) of S. aureus isolates. Conclusions : The present result shows the potential dissemination of multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains in the dairy farms and abattoirs in the Eastern Cape. Therefore, this implies that the organism may rapidly spread through food and pose serious public health risk.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; meat; raw milk; antibiotics; antibiotic resistance genes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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